Gideon Falls #7 (Image): I&N Demand Re: #6: Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have opened the dark doorway to phantasmal madness! The latter’s layouts are mind-bending, sending the narrative deep into the id of a fractured Father Fred, into the bowels of the still abstruse Black Barn. I love the insistence at the very end: Norton insists, “The Black Barn…we’re going to build it. And you’re going to help me…” See: “we,” “you”–that’s me: a boy with a farming pedigree. Let’s do it! Let’s build it! I’m ready.

The New World #4 (Image): I&N Demand I’ve loved the way Aleš Kot has manipulated time ever since Zero #1; so you know I loved #3. But there was plenty more love to go around–mostly for the Moores: the he’s Tradd-ass lines and layouts and the she’s face-melting colors; and kinda for the kitty–specifically the sneaky “SSSNNNIKT” and the cat-fu that follows. It’s a new world, indeed–full of politics and impulsivity, violence and–wait. OK, well, it’s a world. It’s the world. It’s our world. It sure as fuck is.

Skyward #7 (Image): I&N Demand Re: #6: See, now: it’s the look–that look: Willa’s face in the last panel of the second-to-last page. Her face shows everything she’s learned, everything she knows to be true about herself and the Low-G world. She’s not going to let a little girl–a lot like a little Willa–lose her dad; so, despite the big-ass bugs, she’s going out the train door, into a forest full of freakishly large dragonflies, like a goddamned superhero. Cue page turn. Beautiful work from Lee Garbett with striking colors from Antonio Fabela. Well played, Mr. Henderson. Well played.

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #39 (Image): I&N Demand Re: #38: What a fucking trip! It hit me so hard that I had to write a 22 I&N 22 like right away–and here it is: Stray, stray, gang’s all here–in sub-space! Ay mi! Mother of a race to the top, learning: to get ahead, let (e)go. God, I soooo wanted to shout Love Yourself! to the fucking moon, but, ugh, I didn’t want to spoil it for all of my fellow Love Yourself fans; I wanted them–and they’re out there, man–to experience the euphoria I felt when that dredlocked son-of-a-bitch was there on the last page turn, standing next to hospital bed-bound Beth. That’s a good dude right there; and I can’t wait to see him kill some more bad folks.

Batman #57 (DC): I&N Demand Re: #56: Like most guys, I’m a sucker for father-son stories, particularly those that recount dysfunctional relationships that remind of my own effed-up relationship with my father–a really interesting fella who’s lived an enviable life, if I’m being fair–and a total shit as a dad. Yup: I’m a “Cat’s in the Cradle” kid, tears and all. But KGBeast and his dad? Why would I give a dump about that? Why did I? Why do I still? Characterization? Motivation? Juxtaposition? Sure, there’s that. (C’mon: one father who’ll do anything (take on ninjas and the cooky Kanto, the craziest baddy I ever saw), go anywhere (Volgograd–go Dad!) vs. a father who sits–yeah: a total sit as a dad!) But it’s more: it’s how Tom King tells a story–any story, really. But this one: It’s his honesty. His humanity. His fearlessness. His taking shots. A father and son taking shots. Shots to forget. Shots to remember. Add Tony S. Daniel’s best Bat-work to date, and ta da!–I&N Demand.

Cover #2 (DC/Jinxworld): I&N Demand Cover 2–my favorite defense, particularly because my team’s got two solid safeties. Throw in some top-notch corners and a hungry d-line and what’s it all mean? I’ll tell you what it means: don’t pass on Cover 2. No, really: the concept is terrific, the execution makes it matter. Bendis! is at his clever best; and David Mack is back making magic. A Con artist with a cover: artist? Fun, fun! In fact, when I met Mr. Mack at NYCC, I fancied myself in the comic as I handed him a blank sketch cover of Cover #1 and asked for a sketch to complete the cover and I got lost in the layers and loved every minute of it. I tried to explain the fantasy to my wife–about my being a part of some secret spy scheme that’ll change the course of the world–and she was like, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Well played, honey. Well played.

Pearl #3 (DC/Jinxworld)

Daredevil #609 (Marvel)

Black Badge #3 (BOOM!): I&N Demand Re: #2: Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins, and Hilary Jenkins’ Black Badge is the perfect escape. It’s engaging; it’s gorgeous. It simmers and explodes, simmers and explodes–yeah, it’s quite a ride; you know, like being on a train with your fellow Black Badges and then Young Canadian Mounties show up and you’re not sure what’s going to happen and then the plans go KABOOMY! and then Bond-ing over snow mobiles and a tiger, some storytelling inside the story, and an end that’s a right riot, right? That’s one Badge-ass comic, y’all.

Big week of books, boys and girls! I had trouble not wielding the I&N Demand designation this time around. I ain’t complaining; but I am cutting this intro short so I can get to the good stuff. To it.

Days of Hate #8 (Image): I&N Demand #7 was brooding, heavy for the wait of it all, and, in that, emotionally affecting enough–the result of the dramatic ménage à trois of Aleš Kot, Danijel Žeželj, and Jordie Bellaire–to demand immediately a 22 I&N 22 from me, awash in a sympathetic afterglow. I want to feel that again. And again.

Evolution #10 (Image)

Ice Cream Man #7 (Image)

Eleven to Eternity #11 (Image)

Skyward #6 (Image): I&N Demand So thrown by the sacrifice, I 22 I&N 22’d #5, another high-flying, peril-full issue from Joe Henderson, Lee Garbett, Antonio Fabela, and Simon Bowland. Now, it’s time to see if Willa–her father’s journal in her hands and a heavy, heavy mandate in her heart–will follow through, if she will do what she needs to do–which is to, you know, fix.the.world. #staygrounded

Black Hammer: Age of Doom #5 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand Re: #4: Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Dave Stewart serve up some seriously strong women with a lop-sided sack of ineffectual men as garnish. Yeah, the bros are silly sideshows, supplementing the driving feminaction with neutered passivity. But, in the end, the fantasy world in which they’ve been living is a meticulously-plotted perversion of reality, molded by one of their own: it’s, ironically, a phallic safe space hurtling through the heavens. But now that the heroes are woke, that safe space is going to fill up mighty fast–if not with fists, certainly with equally as menacing questions that could blow the ship out of the fucking sky. Man, I can’t wait for answers!

Ether: The Copper Golems #5 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand I knew the end was coming, but that knowledge hasn’t made any softer the blow of the prospect of turning the final page of this inspired, imaginative, and innovative arc of the magical Ether mythos. David Rubín’s ever-moving map of Matt Kindt’s one-of-a-kind mind has led to this; and I, for one, will eagerly yet apprehensively turn every page, and with the last, reflecting, will find satisfaction in knowing that, in having read Ether, I’ve stood atop the comic book equivalent of Everest.

Batman #55 (DC): I&N Demand Breaking News Alert: President Trump has ordered the release of FISA documents, text messages, notes, and other goodies related to the prostate-tickling probe into Russian collusion. And, wouldn’t you know, on the heels of that order, here comes Batman #55, featuring the undeniably Russian KGBeast. Coincidence? I think so. Still, Tom King and Tony S. Daniel better be ready for a tweetstorm–one from a rapidly moving front of loyal readers celebrating what’ll probably be another undeniably brilliant issue of Batman.

Batman: Damned #1 (DC)

Mister Miracle #11 (DC): I&N Demand Mister Miracle is an emotional inter-dimensional teleportation device, and, boy, am I enjoying the ride–in spite of/especially because of the hitting so close to home with the thoughtfully-wrought family dynamic, fraught with effectually infinite frustration and nod-off-and-you’ll-miss-’em microscopic moments of joy. Toss in the, you know, high stakes of the Highfather’s suicidal stratagem, and, well, it is what it is, mister: another goddamned miracle from Tom King and Mitch Gerads. Re: #11: This cover offers up a uneasy inevitability. I’m already feeling it weighing down my arms, my legs–and I’m not even holding the damn thing. Ugh. That menacing sentence: “Darkseid is.” I mean, I know what he can be, and that’s freaking me the fuck out. But, you know–you know what? I am. I am, too. And I know what I am: I am scared. Yeah. I’m not sure I want to read this.

Pearl #2 (DC/Jinxworld)

The Wild Storm #17 (DC)

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (Marvel)

The Immortal Hulk #6 (Marvel)

Venom #6 (Marvel)

Black Badge #2 (BOOM!): I&N Demand [Due to a quirk in my reading/writing schedule, I wrote a review for BB #1 back in my I&N Store post for books out on 8/8. I’m reprinting it here because it reflects well my initial and my enduring reaction to the superlative first issue.]

I’m kind of a Kindt junkie, and, logically, following with more figurative language, Black Badge is my next fix–oh, and how satisfying #1 was. Exploiting the same chemical formula that worked so well in the intoxicatingly agitative Grass Kings–Kindt+Jenkins^2=masterfully mature storytelling and a well-deserved Eisner nom–Black Badge bursts onto the scene like a nostalgia bomb with a perfectly-paced adventure that calls to mind the ubiquitous kidventure movies of the ’80s (Stand by Me and The Explorers were two of my faves) and mirrors those games my friends and I used to play on the farm, as we’d battle imaginary Nazis or Russians a la Where Eagles Dare or Red Dawn. These kids, however, aren’t playing a game–and neither is the creative team: this is some dark stuff; and like good little scouts, we best be prepared for more. See: “Nobody can do what [they] can do. No one can go where [they] can go.” (Hey! you say? “They”? Doubled for your pleasure, fair reader! OK, you got me: mostly for mine.) For the week [of 8/8], Black Badge #1 is #1 with a bullet drone strike.

Re: anticipating #2, recalling the last page of #1: I’m all-in on the mission. I’m the Fifth Badger headed for the bus. Well, the pre-teen I–drawn out so brilliantly by Kindt and the Jenkinses–am, anyway.

Scott. Escape reader.* Comic book in back pocket, crinkled cover hanging on by a staple. A penchant for mud pies.

I was on a frame vacation–which is a vacation within a vacation, of course–and didn’t have time to flesh out my previews for 8/8’s books. So, for you Images and Nerds completists out there, here’s a quick rundown. This go-round, said rundown will be more re- and less pre- as I’ve read all of our I&N Demand books.

Thanks for your understanding.

The Dead Hand #5 (Image): I&N Demand I’m loving this series. Haven’t heard much buzz about it, but it’s really good. Kyle Higgins is doing great work here, playing with paranoia, with isolation, with existentialism and with an external existential threat, which, at this point, has found its way into Mountain View, a community essentially built upon a cleverly conceived existential threat of its own–one that wears the face of and, more important, particularly as it pertains to the development of the pervasive danger in the book, exhibits the mental and emotional capacity of a child. (Parents: hits pretty close to home, no? Ha! Another fine twist!) Stephen Mooney’s artwork, accentuated by Jordie Bellaire’s colors, helps to stretch the tension from panel to panel, page to page, issue to issue. Sure, the Cold War might be over, but there are bombs still waiting to go off–and a shit ton of them are planted in the pages of TheDead Hand.

Eternal Empire #10 (Image)

Farmhand #2 (Image)

Oblivion Song #6 (Image)

Unnatural #2 (Image)

She Could Fly #2 (Dark Horse/Berger Books): I&N Demand The first issue was a promise; and with #2, Christopher Cantwell, Martin Morazzo, and Miroslav Mrva delivered on it. For one, the book moves at a decapitating pace; yeah, the narrative threads–see, they’re piano wire, and the quick cuts’ll leave your head in your hands. (The cover’s got that covered, yo.) The madness that fuels the frenzy is manifested meticulously, which may seem contradictory in reflection, but instead makes sense–which, considering the nature of the creator-reader relationship, in the end, makes all the sense in this mad, mad, mad, mad world. Cool touch: Luna’s barrettes look like devil horns. You know, once I noticed that, I couldn’t not see it and was like Wow, cool touch. I even showed my wife. She said, “Oh, yeah” and then went back to her phone–on Pinterest or Etsy or Instagram or Match or whatever the hell it is she spends so much time on. She could swipe, that one. But She Could Fly, if it keeps up this level of storytelling, will touch the fucking sun.

Catwoman #2 (DC): I&N Demand Joëlle Jones has brought her sexy lines and lots of leather together to give us the solo Catwoman we knew we needed and have desperately wanted, especially since the Tom King proposed the whole Bat-Cat thing. #1 hit a lot of great notes writing-wise and art-wise. Some of those notes were echoes of Jones’ terrific Lady Killer, which was, in retrospect, the perfect audition for Catwoman. This second issue didn’t scratch the same spots as the first, but Jones whipped up a solid issue nevertheless–particularly in the portrayal of Cat’s angst over the big Bat break up and the development of the mystery surrounding Lady Creel’s plan for Selina; and, again, with the lines and the leather–and the Laura Allred’s luscious colors–all of it justification for my objectification of the femmefeline–it’s damn easy on the eyes.

Sandman Universe #1 (DC/Vertigo)

Superman #2 (DC)

Amazing Spider-Man #3 (Marvel)

Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel): I&N Demand The First Family is back! Well, they’re almost back–and that, kids, is your hook. But could their return be Doom-ed from the start? Can’t wait to see what Dan Slott’s got in store for comicdom’s most indispensable four.

Black Badge #1 (BOOM!): I&N Demand I’m kind of a Kindt junkie, and, logically, following with more figurative language, Black Badge is my next fix–oh, and how satisfying #1 was. Exploiting the same chemical formula that worked so well in the intoxicatingly agitative Grass Kings–Kindt+Jenkins^2=masterfully mature storytelling and a well-deserved Eisner nom–Black Badge bursts onto the scene like a nostalgia bomb with a perfectly-paced adventure that calls to mind the ubiquitous kidventure movies of the ’80s (Stand by Me and The Explorers were two of my faves) and mirrors those games my friends and I used to play on the farm, as we’d battle imaginary Nazis or Russians a la Where Eagles Dare or Red Dawn. These kids, however, aren’t playing a game–and neither is the creative team: this is some dark stuff; and like good little scouts, we best be prepared for more. See: “Nobody can do what [they] can do. No one can go where [they] can go.” (Hey! you say? “They”? Doubled for your pleasure, fair reader! OK, you got me: mostly for mine.) For the week, Black Badge #1 is #1 with a bullet drone strike.

Clankillers #2 (Aftershock)

Hot Lunch Special #1 (Aftershock)

Strangers in Paradise XXV #5 (Abstract Studio): I&N Demand Terry Moore’s return to Paradise has been exhilarating, with familiar faces and events unfolding, particularly around Katchoo, at a breakneck pace. #5 slows things down a bit a lot to offer a history lesson, which is meant to make the mystery lessen a lot a bit, which it does–though not before Moore uses Katchoo–and her big ol’ yawn–to let us know that it’s OK that we got a bit–yeah, a bit–beaten up by Tambi’s walking like an Egyptian through her explanation of the situation that plagues them both. In the end, however, Katchoo faces defeat her feet and realizes that she’s got to change her attitude–and her longitude–if she’s going to get to the truth. Another black and white beauty from Mr. Moore.

Lady Killer #4 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand Has been so very good. How good? #1 was our #4 Book of January. #3 will probably end up in our Top 5 for March, what with that stair-raising page turn and all. (I love how serpentine Josie looks as she’s about to slither up the stairs.) With this month’s offering and one more to go, Jones and Rich’s Lady Killer sure is “going somewhere”–straight toward our Top Ten for 2015! High heels down, it’s been the year’s best mini.

Lady Killer #4

Neverboy #2 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first one. At first I found it kind of annoying; I was really ready to race through it just to get it over with. When I got to that moment–if you read it, you know the moment–I was like “Wow!” and, wouldn’t you know, not put off by the –ugh!–police force, which reminded–and not in a good way–of the Sex Police from Sex Criminals; and as I ultimately finished–not in a manner that reminded of Sex Criminals, mind you–I felt compelled to give it another go. That’s right: I read it again, right then and there, displaying a rather impressive rereading refractory period, if I do say so myself. Yeah, that doesn’t happen often.

Neverboy #2

Convergence #0 (DC)

G.I. Joe #7 (IDW)

Millennium #3 (IDW)

The Dying & the Dead #2 (Image) I&N Demand Really liked #1. It had the potential of collapsing under its own weight–and weighty it was in more ways than one; but it held up well, delivering those heavy Hickman notes that, when they’re right, are as good as it gets.

The Dying & The Dead #2

Southern Bastards #8 (Image) I&N Demand Aaron and Latour deserve a championship ring for almost every issue of Southern Bastards--but particularly for Coach Boss’s backstory, which has been executed like the perfect game plan.

Southern Bastards #8

No Mercy #1 (Image)

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #11 (Marvel) I&N Demand So, whatever Daddy Rand has brought to NYC is clearly the mother of all mistakes. But what Kaare Andrews has brought Iron Fist–hey. and to comics, in general–is a the most kinetic visual narrative this side of Kindt’s perpetually energetic Mind MGMT. I mean, come on: in #10, Andrews destroys the staple-bound rules of space and time by having Danny punch his way across six pages–three double-page spreads of strike and follow-through that come together as a bone-and-nut-and-bolt crushing six-page spread–in a striking scene that leaves Danny, despite his best shot, at the mercy of his maniacal–and mechanical–father. Sure, Iron Fist may be The Living Weapon, but Iron Fist: The Living Weapon is about as close to a living, breathing comic book as you’re gonna get.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #11

Blackcross #2 (Dynamite)

War Stories #7 (Avatar)

X-O Manowar #35 (Valiant)

Avery’s Picks of the Week

My Little Pony: Fiendship Is Magic #1 (IDW)

Feathers #4 (BOOM!): Avery loves following the adventures of Poe and Bianca! Aw, heck: so do I!

No, really. I’ve got a hole in my heart. As of right now, however, my cardiologist is pretty firm in his opinion that comics are not the best option with which to fill it.

I’m in the market for a second opinion.

Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. #4 (Dark Horse): Hellish back-grenading, murderous monkey monsters, “insane Frankenstein crap,” and an ominous mound of bones–if that’s not enough to bring a reader back for more, I don’t know what is!

Lady Killer #3 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand #1 was one of our Top 5 books of January. It announced its arrival: “Killer comic calling!” and left quite an impression. #2 didn’t have the same effect–mostly because there was no surprise this time, and expectations were high going into it–but it certainly didn’t disappoint. Joëlle Jones’ artwork is the big draw here–it’s elegantly aggressive and sells Josie’s separate spheres very well. (Doesn’t hurt that it’s polished off to murderous–and motherly–perfection by Laura Allred’s color palette time machine.) Story-wise: despite Josie’s denial, there’s definitely trouble on the horizon–yeah, Jones and Jamie S. Rich aren’t kidding around with the dilemma that’s driving the plot into #3.

Lady Killer #3

Neverboy #1 (Dark Horse): Shaun Simon and Tyler Jenkins are blurring the lines “between the real and the imaginary.” That’s right up my alley, gents! (Consider how blown away I was–still am–by the lengths Matt Kindt went to tearing down the aforementioned lines in Mind MGMT #30, our favorite book of January. Now, that’s how you do it!) Oh, I’ll bite all right. Professional prognostication: I’m thinking that this particular pick’ll be positively Pan-ed!

Detective Comics #40 (DC): All of a sudden, my Bat-book of choice is Manapul and Buccellato’s Detective. How the heck did that happen? The world’s gone mad! It’s–it’s–Anarky!

G.I. Joe #6 (IDW): Through #4, I was all in. I was like, “Yo Joe!” I was 13 again–except for the fact that this wasn’t your grandHama‘s G.I. Joe; this was an elevated–and engrossing–approach from novelist Karen Traviss. Again, through #4. #5? A rather muddled mess. Damn thing’s literally all over the place! Suddenly, I’m left wondering how much more I can take.

Descender #1 (Image) Just I&N and I&N Demand Lemire’s Descender is only the second title to earn both designations! (The first: last week’s Mister X: Razed from master builder Dean Motter.) The blurb on previewsworld.com has me thinking Blade Runner meets Essex County. Yes, please. Is there any doubt that this’ll ascend to the top of our list for the month of March? Yeah. Didn’t think so.

Descender #1

Nameless #2 (Image): If it weren’t Morrison, I’d be off after one. I mean, I’m totally occulted out at this point. If this issue isn’t particularly tight, I’m going to review it this way: Morrison’s occult/sci-fi mash up is Thomas Alsloppy.

Saga #26 (Image): Revolution calling!

All-New Hawkeye #1 (Marvel) I&N Demand Hoping that Lemire is fully invested–that he’s not going to be working at a fraction of his capabilities, especially now that he’s spreading himself as thin as a bowstring. Boy, does he have a huge quiver to fill! Also hoping that he doesn’t miss the mark as he did with Green Arrow.

All-New Hawkeye #1

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10 (Marvel): I&N Demand #9 was another explosion of kinetic cartooning from Kaare Andrews. Great splashes, great layouts–the art as a whole elevates an already solid story, solid writing. Reads with an energy similar to Kindt’s Mind MGMT. “Ha-ha-hee!” That’s high praise around these parts!

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10

Miracleman #16 (Marvel) I&N Demand Classic isn’t strong enough a word to describe #15. There are moments–impossible moments amplified by impossible choices–still gnawing at me. It’s angels hurling mountains at each other; it’s George pulling the trigger. It’s Alan Moore firing a canon at the superhero and building him anew.

Blackcross #1 (Dynamite): This is an Ellis buy. Recent résumé: Moon Knight was one of our Top Ten Books of 2014. Trees, however, has been freakishly frustrating. (He’s got to know that–he’s got to! So there’s got to be a reason for his frustrating the hell out of us, right? Am I too trusting?) Even though I don’t have any experience with Project Superpowers, I’m going to give it a try.

Über #23 (Avatar): Gillen Hitlered a bunch of high notes in the most recent act of his Wagnerian war story. “Capitulation or immolation,” indeed!

X-O Manowar #34 (Valiant): Remains one of the most consistent monthlies. Never reaches rarefied air, but doesn’t need to to be effective. The book’s biggest strength remains Aric, who has remained true to himself–and to us–thanks to Venditti’s thoughtful approach to his plight and his power.